[Greens-Media] Tas Greens_Premier Must Act on Forest Carbon_N McKim MP

[greens at parliament.tas.gov.au]

FOREST CARBON SCIENCE IS IN

'Data-Driven' Premier Must Now Act

Nick McKim MP
Greens Opposition Leader

Tuesday, 5 August 2008
Contact: State Parliamentary Offices of the Tasmanian Greens, (03) 6233
8300

www.tas.greens.org.au


The Tasmanian Greens today said that the release of the Australian
National University's landmark report Green Carbon: The Role of Natural
Forests in Carbon Storage provides a strong scientific imperative to
protect Tasmania's threatened unlogged native forests.

Greens Leader and Climate Change spokesperson Nick McKim MP said that
the report found that the carbon storage capacity of native forests had
been underestimated by up to ten times in some forests, which he said
explodes spin from the forest industry that the sector is carbon
positive.

"The science is now in, and as a result here is now an urgent and
unarguable need to protect Tasmania's remaining threatened unlogged
native forests," Mr McKim said.

"The latest science now clearly shows that there is up to ten times more
carbon embedded in some Tasmanian forests than was previously thought, a
fact that clearly demands a significant policy shift from this
government."

"For our self-described data driven Premier, there is no other option
but to place Tasmania's remaining threatened unlogged forests off limits
to the forest industry, and to fund a transition package to assist the
industry into the future."

"This report explodes industry spin that current public policy settings
in the forestry sector are sustainable, and massively increases the
pressure on Mr Bartlett to act to protect Tasmania's remaining
threatened unlogged native forests." 

"This report shows that protecting Tasmania's unlogged forests could
have a crucial role to play in addressing climate change - all that is
needed now is for the Premier to demonstrate that he has the political
will to act."

Mr McKim said that Mr Bartlett should now also withdraw his support for
Gunns Ltd's proposed pulp mill as it will emit significantly more carbon
than previously thought.



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